Redwood trees are the tallest plants on the earth，reaching heights of up to 100 meters．They are also known for their longevity，typically 500 to 1000 years，but sometimes more than 2000 years．A hundred million years ago，in the age of dinosaurs，redwoods were common in the forests of a much more moist and tropical North America．As the climate became drier and colder，they declined to a narrow strip along the Pacific coast of Northern Califomia．
The trunk of redwood trees is very strong and usually forms a single straight column．It is covered with a soft bark．This bark can be pretty thick，well over two feet in the more mature trees．It gives the older trees a certain kind of protection from insects，but the main benefit is that it keeps the center of the tree harmless from moderate forest fires because of its thickness．This fire resistant quality explains why the giant redwood grows to live that long．While most other types of trees are destroyed by forest fires，the giant redwood actually prospers because of them．
Moderate fires will clear the ground of competing plant life，and the rising heat dries and opens the ripe fruit of the redwood，releasing many thousands of seeds onto the ground below．
New trees are often produced from shoots，little baby trees，which form at the base of the trunk．These shoots grow slowly，fed by the root system of the “mother’’ tree．When the main tree dies，the shoots are then free to grow as full trees，forming a “fairy ring” of trees around the original tree．These trees，in turn，may give rise to more shoots，and the cycle continues．Why were redwood trees easier to find in the forests of North America millions of years ago?
| A．The trees were taller and stronger． |
| B．The soil was softer for seeds to develop． |
| C．The climate there was warmer and wetter． |
| D．The temperature was lower along the Pacific coast． |
Which of the following is a function of the tree bark as mentioned in the passage?
| A．It allows redwood trees to bear seeds． |
| B．It prevents redwood trees from attack by insects． |
| C．It helps redwood trees absorb water in the air． |
| D．It makes redwood trees more beautiful and appealing． |
Why do redwood trees grow to live that long according to the passage?
| A．They have heavy and straight tree trunks． |
| B．They are properly watered and catered to． |
| C．They are more resistant to fire damage than other trees． |
| D．They produce many young trees to maintain their life cycle． |
How does a “fairy ring’’ form according to the passage?
| A．By killing an old tree． | B．By connecting root systems． |
| C．By inserting holes into old trees． | D．By surrounding a mature tree． |
School violence is in the headlines again after recent shootings at schools in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Colorado. After hearing the news, it’s natural for students — no matter how old they are or where they go to school — to worry about whether this type of incident may someday happen to them.
So how safe are schools? It’s actually safer to be in a school than in a car. Twice as many 15-to-19-year-olds die in car accidents than in shootings (and that’s all shootings, not just the ones that happen in schools). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of all homicides (杀人罪) among school-age children happen on school grounds or on the way to and from school. So the vast majority of students will never experience violence at school.
However, some schools have re-evaluated their safety needs in response to the concerns of families and communities. Some now require that guests check in at the office or have more guards on duty. Some schools have fixed metal detectors. Another thing that helps make schools safer is greater awareness of problems like bullying and discrimination. Many schools have practiced programs to fight these problems and to help teachers and administrators know more about protecting students from this type of violence.
The cause of school violence isn’t easy to understand. There is no single reason why students become violent. Some are just copying behavior they’ve seen at home, in the streets, or in video games, movies, or television. There’s one thing experts do agree on, though: Having access to guns or other weapons makes it easier for some people to lash out against the things or people they don’t like.Which of the following statements can prove that schools are safe?
| A．About 99% of 15- to-19-year-olds are safe at school. |
| B．Fewer students have died in car accidents than in shootings. |
| C．Students shot to death at school are half of all students. |
| D．Fatal shootings of students are less than 1% of all homicides. |
After schools have re-evaluated their safety needs, ________.
| A．families will be more concerned about schools |
| B．communities will be responsible for schools |
| C．teachers will pay more attention to shootings |
| D．administrators will arrange to have more guards on duty |
From the last paragraph we can conclude that ______.
| A．experts have found no reason for school violence |
| B．students with weapons are easily upset about things |
| C．school violence could be copied from violence in society |
| D．no single reason makes students violent |
We could probably see this passage in ______.
| A．an analysis report | B．a realistic novel |
| C．a case investigation | D．a news journal |
McGill Comedy Club
Important meetings today. Discussion on putting on Blazing Saddles. Union room 302, 3-4pm. New members (both actors and non-actors, living and dead) are welcome.
History Students’ Association
Prof. Michael Cross of Dalhouseie University will be speaking on “Unskilled Labor on Rivers and Canals in Upper Canada, 1820-1850: The beginning of Class Struggle” at 10am. in Peacock 230.
Design Mirror Sale
All types and sizes of design mirrors priced to please. Sale today in Union room 108.
McGill Teaching Assistants’ Association
A general meeting, for all the Tas will be held at 4pm. in peacock 116.
Women’s Union
Important general meeting at 6pm. Union room 423. Speaker on “Importance of Deciding Basic Goals of the Women’s Union.” Everyone ----old, new and those interviewed, please attend.
Film Society
Last meeting of the term for all members. All managers are required to be present at 6pm. sharp, Union room 434.
Canadian University Students Overseas
CUSO presents “Guess Who’s Coming to Breakfast” at 7pm. newman Centre, 3848 Peel. Find out about CUSO here and overseas. Everyone welcome.Which of the following is the name of a play?
| A．Blazing Saddles. | B．Guess Who’s Coming to Breakfast. |
| C．Important of Deciding Basic Goals of the Women’s Union. | |
| D．Unskilled Labor on Rivers and Canals in Upper Canada, 1820-1850. |
If you are interested in arts, where can you go for a visit?
| A．Peacock 116 | B．Union room 423 |
| C．Union room 108 | D．Newman Centre, 3848 Peel |
Which of the following will occupy Union room 423?
| A．Film Society. | B．Canadian University Students Overseas |
| C．Women’s Union | D．Design Mirror Sale |
Where can you probably find this text?
| A．In a school magazine. | B．In a national paper. |
| C．In a guide book. | D．In a university daily newspaper. |
There are many types of reports. A report is simply an account of something that has happened. The commonest are new reports. We get them in newspapers, over the radio and on television. Sometimes cinemas also show us newsreels(新闻影片).
The main purpose of a newspaper is to provide news. If you examine a newspaper closely, you will find that there are all types of news: accidents, floods, fires, wars, fashions, sports, books, etc. The news covers everything that happens to people and their surroundings. Sometimes there are news items which are very amusing.
A news report is usually very short, except when it is about something very important, but it contains a lot of information. It is also written in short paragraphs. The first paragraph is, in fact, a summary of the news item. It gives all the necessary information—what, when, where, how and why. The other paragraphs give full details of the subject. There may also be interviews with people. The words actually spoken by them are within inverted commas(引号).
Often there are photographs with the news to make it more interesting.In this passage, which of the following is mentioned as sources of new reports?
| A．Cinemas, television and Internet. | B．Television, Internet and newspapers. |
| C．Internet, newspapers and cinemas. | D．Radios, television and newspapers. |
According to this passage, the main purpose of a newspaper is to ________.
| A．earn money | B．make the readers happy |
| C．provide news | D．draw attention |
We can learn from this passage that news reports ________.
| A．are never amusing | B．are always written in short paragraphs |
| C．are always written in the first paragraph | |
| D．give details of events in the first paragraph |
The soldiers had just moved to the desert, and as they had never been in such a place before, they had a lot to learn.
As there were no trees or buildings in the desert, it was, of course, very hard to hide their trucks from enemy planes. The soldiers were, therefore, given training in camouflage. They were shown how to paint their trucks in irregular patterns with pale green, yellow, and brown paints, and then to cover them with nets to which they had tied small pieces of cloth.
The driver of the biggest truck had a lot of trouble camouflaging it. He spent several hours painting it, preparing a net and searching for some heavy rocks with which to hold the net down. When it was all finished, he went for lunch.
When he came back from his meal, he was surprised and worried to see that his camouflage was completely spoilt by the truck’s shadow, which was growing longer and longer as the afternoon advanced. He stood looking at it, not knowing what to do.
Soon an officer arrived, and he, too, saw the shadow, of course.
“Well,” he shouted to the poor driver, “What are you going to do about it? If an enemy plane comes over, the pilot will at once know that there is a truck there.”
“I know, sir,” answered the soldier.
“Well, don’t just stand there doing nothing!” said the officer.
“What shall I do, sir?” asked the poor driver.
“Get your spade and throw some sand over the shadow, of course!” answered the officer.From this passage you can know ________.
| A．there were a lot of trees where the soldiers were stationed |
| B．the soldiers were staying in an area far from the enemy planes |
| C．the soldiers knew nothing about desert |
| D．the soldiers had lived in desert before |
Which of the following is right?
| A．The nets with which they covered their trucks were made of small pieces of cloth. |
| B．The soldiers tied small pieces of cloth to the nets with which they covered their trucks. |
| C．The nets covering the trucks were painted pale green, yellow and brown. |
| D．The trucks were tied to the nets with small pieces of cloth. |
The soldier was surprised and worried because ________.
| A．his truck had cast a shadow in the sun and the enemy plane would find it. |
| B．the shadow of his truck was growing longer at noon |
| C．it was late in the afternoon, and he could not get rid of the shadow |
| D．his newly-painted truck was in the shadow |
What do you think of the ending of the story?
| A．It is quite reasonable that the officer ordered the soldier to cover the shadow with sand. |
| B．We’ll laugh at the officer’s order because it is where the humor lies. |
| C．Though the officer’s order sounded wise, the soldier couldn’t cover the shadow. |
| D．The soldier managed to cover the shadow with sand |
What do you think of the ending of the story?
| A．It is quite reasonable that the officer ordered the soldier to cover the shadow with sand. |
| B．We’ll laugh at the officer’s order because it is where the humor lies. |
| C．Though the officer’s order sounded wise, the soldier couldn’t cover the shadow. |
| D．The soldier managed to cover the shadow with sand |
When you visit America, you will see the word Motel on signs and notice boards. It is made up of “motor” and “hotel” and it is really a hotel for people who arrive by car (how-ever, you don’t need a car to stay at one). You have to pay when you arrive for your room, which usually has a bath. Meals are not provided, but there will certainly be a cafeteria (自助餐馆). Americans eat a lot of salads and sandwiches. Along the main roads there are a lot of motels. Each tries to offer more than next. Some provide television in every bedroom; others have swimming pools; and so on. Motels are especially useful when you are in the country, far from a town or city. You will also find them in the big National Parks.
In these great National Parks, you may meet guests you don’t expect to see. An American friend told me a little story. In the middle of a moonless night she heard strange noises outside her motel window in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thinking it might be a thief, she jumped out of bed, opened the door and crept towards a dark shadow. As she got close, she saw the thief. She was dreadfully frightened: it wasn’t a human thief — it was a big black bear. The bear was turning over some empty tins with its paw, looking for tasty bits of food. My friend decided to leave that particular thief alone!
There are also, of course, places called “rooming houses”, where they receive lodgers (房客). You will see such signs as Tourists or Rooms Rent, and you could try one of these. A word of warning — looking for a room in New York during the tourist season is like looking for gold on the moon! Which of the following is TRUE about motels?
| A．You can only find motels in the big National Parks. |
| B．They are free for people who arrive by car. |
| C．If you want to stay at a motel, you must have a car. |
| D．The word “motel” is formed by two words. |
Which of the following is NOT provided by motels?
| A．Baths. | B．Swimming pools. |
| C．TV. | D．Meals. |
The underlined word “crept” in the second paragraph probably means “______”.
| A．moved slowly | B．rushed out |
| C．threw away | D．ran fast |
The second paragraph mainly tells us ______.
| A．an interesting story |
| B．the experience of the author’s friend |
| C．we may meet animals in the National Parks |
| D．bears usually look for food at night |
From the last paragraph, we can learn that in New York during the tourist season ______.
| A．tourists can find gold there |
| B．tourists can have a sweet dream there |
| C．it is difficult to find a room there |
| D．there is warning for tourists to New York |